Category: Cell Phone Talk
Hi, does anyone know of any phones available from verizon other than the Iphone that are relatively accessible? I'd like to get an Ipod Touch 5th generation, and so don't know if I need an Iphone as well. They are nice, but I'm not nuts about paying a larger bill due to the required data package. Are there any recent phones that have come out in the last year or two that are reasonably accessible? I just need to be able to txt and see who called. Internet would be nice. Droid phones scare me, so anyone know of something that might work?
Any phone that has the internet is going to have a data plan, not just IPhones. If you're getting an IPod, you might as well just get the IPhone rather than the IPod, and pay a bit more for the data plan. It really isn't all that much if all you want is to be able to see who calls and to text. Although, I'm willing to bet that once you realize all the other things you can do with the IPhone, you'll want to do more. Same with droid if you get over your fear of them. Why are you afraid of them anyway?
No; I agree. The data plans from verizon are rediculous. the only reason I have an IPhone now is because I'm on a family plan with my fiance and a couple of his relatives and we get a good deal for unlimmitted data. For a basic phone, without a camera and without internet but with texting abilities, you can get a samsung haven. it's a basic flip phone, really easy to use and it has a few really unique features. It's totally accessible out of the box and doesn't require a data plan. Only thing is, Verizon discontinued it, not because it's flawed but because it wasn't that popular with the general market which is in favor of smart phones instead. I happpen to have a samsung mobile I used for only two days because I was invited onto the family plan with the relatives very soon after I got the samsung. I'm actually selling mine, just as an aside.
Otherwise, you might want to get a window's mobile phone. For that you'll need to buy a screen reader like talks. They're simple to use and their not Droids or IPhones. But I believe you still need a data plan for them, like cody said. I disagree with cody though; Why get a monthly data plan for someone who will only minimally use the internet. Texting is separate from data, so she'd be paying for that itself, and she says she would like to use that function primarily. And last I checked, two gigs of data, which is, i believe the minimum you can get from verizon costs about thirty dollars a month. Why would anyone want to spend that kind of money every month if they're not going to be using the data.
She can access the same apps on the IPod touch or even the IPad as she could on the IPhone, and she can have it tied to her home network, thus not needed data gigs from verizon to connect to the internet. You dont' have to have an IPhone to access and use the majority of the IOS apps out there, with exception to the GPS apps, of course.
I never saw a phone Verizon had that could access the internet well without a data plan. Even when adding Mobile Speaks, or other programs the internet was just not up to par.
If all you need other than that, texting, and general, and want to stay with Verizon ask about LG phones that have LG's program on them. LG was one company I had phones from that were about 80% accessible and had no data plan attached.
In the last 2 years Verizon had the Octain, and you might even be able to get one new. The Octain was the upgrade model of the In V 2 and 3. Ask about it.
You can also do a search online for one. Try EBay.
LG phones are only accessible to an extent. none of their submenus are read out loud so texting doesn't really work on them either.
I've never found verizon phones to e all that accessible. I had the envy, and I had the HTC OZone, I wasn't impressed. I've used talks, and hated that too. It froze and was inaccurate.
While you're right and she could simply have an IPod connected to her home network, she could just do those tasks on her computer. The IPhone allows her to perform those tasks without being at home, which is where the cell phone platform comes into its own I think.
I guess the best suggestion would be to try all the phones you can get your hands on, read reviews online about their accessibility, and decide what exactly you're going to be doing with the phone. How often will you really use the internet on the phone? What kind of other applications do you want on the phone. Even such small things as do you prefer keys or screens. We can't really answer those questions for you.
I could text perfectly well on an Octain and my In V2. The only thing I could not do was web browsing, some of the music features, like buying music from Verizon, but I could put music on and play it easy.
Setting things and seeing who called and when was easy for me.
I liked LG for its price and clean speech. Use to be a board on these phones here, but it is probably dropped off by now. Many had them.
These post would be under accessible devices.
Sister Dawn started on and it was full of information.
Well, you can always get a bluetooth keyboard with the IDevices, so the keys thing might not even be an issue.
I might just have to eat $30 amonth for an IPhone. I don't like to txt using just numbers, I'd like a qwerty keyboard. Droid scares me cause I don't want to play around with any of the speech aps, I do like that the Iphone is pretty much accessible right out of the box, with very little sighted assistance needed. I had an Iphone 4, but lost it about a month after I got it. I'll probably just get as little data as possible with an Iphone.
I'm cheap. I don't have cable TV just digital. I do have the internet and when i went for a phone, I choked on the price.
um... MA is as simple as an Iphone its home screen can be used by a munky. Lol, besides VZ has JB phones and JB "jelly bean" is quite accessible. VZ has a stock android phone called the nexis and its as accessible as an Iphone. The droid 4 runs ICS which is quite accessible with no gesters because of the OS. So as I see it you have choice, Iphone or the android platform. Droid is a verizon turm, the OS is android.
I for got that moble accessibility for VZ is free to, how ever in Jelly bean its not needed.
Well, I guess I was less than a monkey a year ago too. I felt exactly as she does.
1. I didn't want to pay extra for data, and even now use vary little, but I do use some due to the phone having features I couldn't use, like email, weather, directions, and such.
2. I loved keys, still do, and felt a touch screen would be a bother. It gets cold here, and buttons simply work best in the cold.
3. With a touch screen you have to hear to do simple task, like dial a number. This requires a headset of some kind when you are outside on a busy street and its noise. With buttons you can feel and just dial your number.
I really like my iPhone now, but my concerns were exactly like hers. I had my InV2 for almost 4 years. The only reason I switched was the iPhone was the best for the money for me at the time. Now I'm hooked.
i use the IPhone. from Atant. and i like it. I stay in my data plan. and i save money that way. IPhone is the best out 6here.
To update this board on the droid4 "jelly bean, 4.1.1" has graced this slider phone officially so now one mager carier can say they have a jelly bean slider phone.
Does the slider phone have a keyboard? or is it just a standard slider phone with the numberpad on it? Only reason I'm asking is because I have the Samson haven... it's almost 2 years old... in fact, it will be 2 years in June... and I don't much like the tuch screens- I've tried them before, and can't seem to get the hang of them... so if there's a slider phone out there that is accessible, that's awesome, cause I wanna upgrade from my haven, but I've heard terrible things about the upgrade for the haven in terms of it not being accessible... what is jellybean?? Thanks to anyone who could help!
Amber
jelly bean is the latest android OS or 4.1, it allows user to swipe on a touch screen simular to IOS. Its got a corty keyboard its not a keyboard that is like an older phone pad that just has numbers. Its got letters and numbers, go check out that android show, there is a review done on the droid 4.
I recently got an IPhone, but I used to have an LG Revere, which uses Verizon Prepaid, that was somewhat accessible, although not everything was. You have to set it up to speak the menus, but once everything was set up to read menus and automatically open a reply to texts, it was duable, although you could not go back and reveiw what you typed in a text message. I was able to send and receive texts and have the phone announce who was calling or texting when it happened. There was also a way to retrieve missed calls using the voice command feature, and you could add, read out, edit, or delete contacts using the voice command feature also. A lot of the submenus would not read out loud though, so it is not completely accessible, but if all you want is a basic phone for calling, texting, and adding contacts, then it is doable.
Hey! Thanks so much... I'd like to get a droid, but I'm not at all familar with the tuch screen functions at all... (don't like them) but if a phone has a QWRTY keyboard, I suppose I could get used to that since using a tuch screen doesn't exactly work for me. (I've tried it on more then one occation) and it still doesn't work. Amber
your welcome, I see what your saying amber a lot on the eyes-free list, its a mailing list for android. There are a few that still use a slider keyboard and love it. They have best of both worlds.
Hey! Oh okay.. do you know what the phone is called? Does Verizon still have them in the stores??
yes the droid 4 :) yes I believe they are still in stores its a farely new phone.
Oh okay cool. So do all droid 4's have tuch screens? Or are there certain ones that have a QWRTY keyboard? Amber
the droid4 is a slider quorty phone and yes all droid 4's are slider android phones. :) go play with one, if you need help guiding the customer rep to turn on talkback I can direct you here. "apps", settings", "accessibility", "talkback", "there is a check box that says [turn on talkback] have the rep check it for you." Sense you will have a slider keyboard use the arrow keys to find settings under talkback and arrow down through talkback's settings and set talkback up the way you like to have it read and interact with you. If you need more help just ask me via a private messege or PQ.
Hey! Thanks so much! I appreciate it! I'll definitely have to go into a verizon store and take a look at the Droid4. Oh wow.. good to know that all droid phones aren't tuch screens! The slider keyboard is something I'll have to get used to though as I've only had numberpad phones well, with the exception of the N86- that was a slider, but had a numberpad but the buttons were way smaller on that phone then the Samson haven I have now though... but anyways, times are changing... and I'd like to learn this QWRTY keyboard phone... cause I really want a droid!
JerseyGirl1989
the droid4 is a touch screen and slider phone but you have both hardware keyboard and touch screen.
Oh I see- so it's both?? Can you have one option opposed to the other??? Like if I don't want to use the tuch screen, can I use the QWRTY keyboard instead?? Going on Sunday to a verizon store to check out the phone.
Amber
in some parts of android you will need to use the touch screen to read with depending on what app usd to read "text" messeges. Keep in mind if you do not like "core " app "core meaning [phone, text messeging, contacts and browser.]" it can be changed.
Oh so you can have either or?? Cause I looked at it today, and there was the tuch screen and the keyboard.... honestly, I don't know how ya'll use those damn IPhones... I really don't... looked at an IPhone too.. and for the life of me can't figure that out... but if my samson haven dies, I'm shit out of luck, because I can't even back-up my contacts.... for those who use the droid/IPhones, how long did it take to learn them? And doesn't the IPhone have a non-accessible GPS? I thought that the droids gps was more developed?
Sorry for all the questions lol. Thanks to anyone who can help! :)
You can stil find the samsung haven phone if you look around.
I choose to use an older LG phone and older phones are easy to find.
each OS android and IOS have a learning curve but once you get past it you will never look back. It took me about oh, 2 weeks to learn android but keep in mind I started out when android did not have any way to swipe from one element to another and you needed a trackpad. to navagate the whole OS and apps. Its come a long way sense then but again both platforms have a learning curve.
The IPhone's gps works perfectly fine, what people have griped about is the maps app on board might not be quite as accurate. that's easily fixed, and for free too. You really can't make a choice on if you like an IPhone in a short time, you need to work with it a bit, do a little exploring, and my guess is it goes the same for android as well.
Oh ya, attitute is the key word here, if you go into either android or IOS thinking your never going to get used to a touch screen, then you just created a barier which will hinder you in the long run.
Why can't you backup your contacts?
Verizon has a service that does this for you. You can also back them up to your address book on your computer if you decide to go with an iPhone.
If you go with the Android, soon as you get your new phone the contacts will follow.
Call Verizon and ask how to use this service before you need it. If your phone dies, it will be maybe impossible to get them depending on why the phone died.
Hmmm, they told me whenI went there last weekend that the samson haven doesn't have a way to back-up my contacts. I could always go through one by one and write out peoples numbers- although that might take forever seeing as I have like a million numbers in the phone lol... Thanks guys!! Definitely doing more explooring before I get any kinda phone lol.
I now have an iPhone. in fact, I am posting this reply using my iPhone. I even have a
folding Bluetooth keyboard that I recently bought for extensive typing with my iPhone. Ever since one of my friends decided to get an iPhone she did some research and found
that the iPhone had a screen reader called voiceover. She went to the Apple Store again
and asked how that can be turned on and they told her to go under accessibility settings.
She even showed me how to use it and after that I have been pretty hooked. When I got
my own iPhone I was excited because I can now feel free to do anything I desire with it
without compromise. I played with her phone for a couple of months and asked my
parents for one for my birthday. I got it on my birthday since my contract was up and I
have been having problems with my phone. prior to the iPhone I owned an LG enV phone.
The phone had both the number pad and the QWERTY keyboard. I was able to do text for
the first time on it since everybody else texted me. The camera on the iPhone is way
better than the one on my LGE NV phone after the iPhone, I am not looking back.
I have been saying for the longest flip phones are headed to the Dinosaur been, its best a person learn how to use a touch screen. You do not have to have an IPhone android has come a very long way with its accessibility and is alternative to owning a touch screen phone.